Sock

Today was a busy day at work even during my lunch break so no crafting a work. Tonite I worked a little on the beaded santa, but need to put it back in a hoop to finish off the final stitches. Tonite I cast on the second rainbow sock so I can get that pair done and off the needles. This yarn is extremely stripy, but I'm trying to be more carefree about it and didn't attempt to match up the top of the second sock to the first. My goal is finish this pair before I start a toe up sock. So many projects and not enough time or energy some days.

Must be santa

Santa is coming along quite nicely. I worked on him tonite after paying all of the bills, doing the laundry and gathering stuff for taxes. It's good to have something fun to work. This piece looks hard but if you take it step by step it's really not.

Santaland

Worked on my santa last nite and tonite and it's coming out quite nicely. It has a lot of pulled thread work and then the rest of the piece is filled in with white pearlish and gold beads. They look nice together, though loads left to do.

Finished

Worked on this santa tonite after a day of working in my newly painted and outfitted 'heritage room' . I planned, purchased and installed two sets of Elfa shelves from the container store. We searched (the cats and I) for the curtain rods and curtains and found all of the pieces, ironed and defurred the curtains again and hung them up. A cleanup and dusting, laying out the rug and the room is ready for some decorating. Maybe even some furniture.
To celebrate I worked on this santa, the patterns I purchased a year ago at 'celebration of nw'. I just got the fabric and was itching to start this. It's easy stitching so far. Beading and then drawn thread work are next for this piece.

To mark my place on the pattern I used a new tape. This is what all the women received at Easter this year. I love this tape. I only used a small piece and repeatedly moved it on the page keeping track of my rows. It's sticky but not like a post-it that fails after a few moves and then falls off. You can see through the tape to the next row to plan ahead. It's also lightweight, not heavy like a magnet board. I know I'll be using this a lot in the future. I got this from www.silverneedle.com a needlework store in Oklahoma. They have lots of fun things and give great service. Keep your eye out for it at your local office supply or craft store.

Finito

Finished the comfort blanket tonite and it looks great. It's done well under it's deadline time too so now I can work on a few projects of my own.

Worked on my painting project today also doing touchups, cleanups, tape removal and reinstalling all the outlet covers. Tomorrow the electrical panel cover (now painted and almost dry) will go back on as will the curtain rods and freshly pressed curtains. My son promised some help in moving furniture from the attic.

Then comes putting away all of the tools and stuff used for painting. I've learned a lot on this project in order to tackle the next room of the house, the kitchen.

I never did post a picture of the cascade fixation socks on the blog. The recipient will have to take a picture of them on for me so I can get an action shot.

More home work

` I was hard at work this afternoon doing a second coat of paint in my new 'heritage' room. It's coming out nicely and the second coat was sorely needed. Tomorrow is touch-ups and then the reinstallation of everything. Measurements and then a trip to the Container Store to price adjustable Elfa shelving for two walls is also in the works. My son agrees that I need a place to display all of the stuff I'm creating.

This evening I worked on the comfort blanket. I'm now over half way knitted. As you can see it's just a 6 stitch 'seed stitch' border then k6 p6 for 8 rows then you p6 k6 for another 8 rows maintaining the border pattern. You use three strands of different yarns held together for a totally washable, soft and shimmery feeling baby blanket. You only cast on 72 stitches to start so it's not too big to cuddle a baby in.

Other projects

I was off today so I tackled I project that's been in the planning for a year, painting one room of the house. Last week I emptied that room of furniture and today the paint was purchased. Prep work takes more time than the painting sometimes. Taping all of the trim work and cutting in all of the edges. Two coats of pink to white ceiling paint and then one coat on the walls got done today. Another coat tomorrow and then all of the stuff gets installed back on the walls, outlet covers, switch covers, curtain rods, and then the curtains. Maybe even furniture by the end of the week.

I did get some knitting in to tonite whilst waiting for the paint to dry. The comfort blanket has 5 rows of basketweave out of 15. It's looking very nice.

More cats

The second cat 'chococat' got added tonite to the vinyl weave fabric for a mug insert. They look cute inside but I think something in the way of a backround is needed. I'm thinking pink flowers scattered about.
Finished the second sock so the 'oyster blush' socks are now a pair. They are ready to be wrapped up and given out next week. I cast on and knit a few rows on the 'comfort' blanket but my hands told me enough knitting for today.

Crafting with the gang

My gang of cats were all up in my room tonite watching a movie with me as I knit on the second sock. I got a lot done. It's on to the toe.
This is a Hello Kitty design on vinyl weave fabric that will go into a clear mug as an insert. Never having stitched on vinyl before I wouldn't recommend it to anyone except in small doses. It's not the easiest fabric to work with as it's stiff with no give or drape. The design does look really cute though when in the mug.

Amish bear

The amish bear let it know that he wanted a face so today his was stitched on using brown perle 5 cotten. He looks very happy that he can now be a polar bear.
Finished the first of a pair of comfort socks. Will cast on for the second sock tomorrow. Yarn is soft, cuddly and warm.

New sock

Started work today on a comfort sock for a co-worker. It's 'Jitterbug' yarn, color 'Oyster Blush'. I really like knitting with yarn and as you can see it knits up quickly. I've had good reports from the field that the socks are holding up and keeping their color. I should finish the first one tomorrow and cast on the second. No second sock syndrome for this pair.

Not a whole lot of crafting going on

I only got to do a little bit of knitting today. I did weave in all of the yarn ends on the "fixation" socks. That's the downside of knitting with more colors, with only one yarn you trim the start and then weave in the toe and it's done. With the top heel and toe different colors there are a lot more ends to weave in. I know, complain complain... the socks were worth the extra 10 minutes of yarn ends.

I found the rainbow sock still in progress and knit a little on that. Too busy today but I'm looking forward to a big chunk of time to knit tomorrow.

Socks

Knitted on the second 'fixation' sock tonite, turned the heel and am know decreasing towards the foot. It's going along quite nicely.

Baked a loaf of irish soda bread and loved it. You bake it in a cast iron skillet in the oven so the bottom and edges are nice and crunchy.

View from the street

Worked hard today and finished my "Balconies" project. It was gently washed by hand, reverse pressed on a towel, trimmed to fit, pressed to fit the hardware, the back seam sewn and then the hardware was sewn on the ends. It looks stunning in person and hanging on the wall. I've very fond and proud of this project. I seem to gravitate to projects of just two or three colors. The simple pallette appeals.

Worked on white bear today and he' s now and amish stuffed bear. Amish because he doesn't have any eyes or nose yet. I'm deciding whether or not he needs them. I know my consultants will say he'll look better with a face but he can wait for facial surgery for a few more days.

One fixation sock is finished. All the ends need weaving in but it worked up quite fast.

Gardening

Sewed the front and back together of a teddy I've been knitting during my lunch break at work. Here's what he looking like prior to a trip through the washing machine.
Three wash loads later he's shorter and felted. Now he just needs stuffing and some facial construction and he'll be ready to play with.
Work on the balconies and finished the entire border. Added some flower pots with accompaning flowers and the stitching is finished for this piece. Now it needs a good pressing and then its on to the finishing.

Worked on my socks tonite also inbetween playing with my kitty helpers. Did a 2 inch ribbed cuff in the solid color and then 3 inches of stockinette in varigated yarn. A few more inches and then the heel will be turned using the solid. This is the first time I've knit a two color sock. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Rip it out

Knit on a sock today with some new yarn (cascade fixation) on size 1 needles. Too small needles.

Try more rounds on larger size 2 needles. Gauge is good. Rip back to the beginning.

Cast on again for sock. Knit about 4 inches. Gauge is good but too many stitches on the needles. Sock is coming out too big. Rip it all back. I was in a meeting at this time and others in the room looked shocked at this care free attitude to my knitting. I whispered to my co-workers that it wasn't right. They are used to me knitting in meetings. They seemed appeased.

Cast on again this time with less stitches. Like the gauge, the yarn and the number of stitches.

Third times the charm.

Roof

I stitched and stitched tonite and finished the final balcony, window and the roof. At the top left running down the side is the start of the border that runs around the entire piece (22 inches tall). Next will be the addition of some flower pots to add that spot of color. I'm looking forward to the finishing on this one.

Iron work

Finished work on one balcony and started on the one above. I really like the way the ironwork looks from far away. You get focused in on the single threads and stitches when you are working on it, while looking through the magnifying glass.

More ornamentals

Added more ornamental fixtures to the wall and a new balcony. It's going along quite nicely upward to the roof.

New Pet

Worked today on making a requested item. Got the book "Fun Dolls" by Aranzi Aronzo and my son and his girlfriend looked through it for inspiration for me. They selected "Terry the Dog" as one that they would like me to make. Looked in the attic and found fur enough for a dog. Here are his parts all sewn, weighted with pellets, stuffed and ready for assembly.
Here is "Terry" posing upon completion. He was really easy to sew together and has a lot of charm. He's also quite alot bigger than the picture in the book lead us to imagine. There is more fur in the attic so "Terry" might get a friend.
The balconies are growing and getting more intricate. The tree was tricky to put in as you do a lot of stitching free-hand. Now the upper floors are going in.

Window shopping

Worked on more of the windows today. The lower most window has a space in the middle where the tree will be stitched in later. I had to put the fabric in a hoop to stitch the darning work patterns in the lower section. This helps the thread lay out nice and flat.

Windows

Worked on putting in more windows today. I love that you are just using one strand of black thread to make all of the shading come to life.

Windows

Worked on the second window today. I'm really enjoying working on this project.

On the knitting front at lunch I did some work on what will be a felted bear. Tonite I knitted a few rows on a baby blanket.

Blackwork

Started a new project tonite. It's a blackwork pattern I got a few years ago in Lexington Kentucky. It will be a bell pull of windows. I love how it's working out after just one nite. I did enlarge the pattern and that makes it so much easier to follow the pattern.

Ships Box

Worked on the Ships Box today and finished it. There was a lot of work still to do. This is what I had finished in the class I took a few years ago. The insides were covered in silk.
These are the silk covered straws that have cording wrapped around like a ships railing.
Here are the railings installed on the sides. They are tied in two places only. This way you can tuck a think tool behind the railing.

Here is the inside of the top of the box. It's tufted and has a pearl button in the center.
Here are the two end panels. The one on the right has a mariners wheel pincushion. The left is tied with a ribbon leaving a little space to slip in a pair of scissors.
Here is the completed box with all of the components fitted and glued inside.
And here is my Kitty assistant Magpie, taking a nap on the ironing board. Supervising is so tiring.

Boat launch

Worked on the boat in the ocean tonite and the stitching is finished. Now after a pressing it's on to the assembly.